Unlocking the bootloader is a must if you want to customize the LG G5 smartphone by installing a custom recovery or rooting the device. The way in which we are rooting the device is via a custom recovery this time, so it doesn’t matter what way you look at it, you will need the bootloader unlocked.

REQUIREMENTS

• The following guide is made for the LG G5 smartphone with the H850 model number. The bootloader unlock method may vary between variants of the G5, so it is advised that you follow this guide for the European variant only unless otherwise advised by us or a professional.
• You must have a computer that is running a version of the Windows operating sytsem to follow this guide or else the ADB will not allow you to enter any Fastboot commands from the command line.

BEFORE WE BEGIN

• You will need to backup the data on your G5 handset before you follow this guide because unlocking the bootloader on an Android operating system wipes the data. That means you will find the device in the same state as when you apply a factory reset. Anyone who has a lot of contacts or information that they can ill afford to lose will need to backup that same data so they can restore it again later when they want to use it again.
• Enable the USB Debugging Mode from the Developer Options menu by tapping on the Settings icon > Developer Options > USB Debugging Mode.
• Stay within the same Developer Options menu and enable the OEM Unlocking option.

HOW TO UNLOCK BOOTLOADER ON LG G5 H850

1. Follow our step by step guide to install ADB and Fastboot on your computer with a Windows operating system.
2. Open the folder where you have ADB waiting and hold the Shift key while right-clicking the mouse where it shows you the white background and no files.
3. Choose to open a new command window here from the menu that is now on the display.
4. Connect the European LG G5 smartphone to the computer with the USB cable.
5. Type the command “adb reboot bootloader” to get your G5 smartphone into the bootloader mode you need.
6. Type the next command “fastboot oem device-id” from the command prompt window to generate a device ID we will be using.
7. Copy the two lines of letters and numbers into a text file by using Notepad and make sure you join the second row of letters and numbers up to the first row without any gap.
8. Point to the LG Developers website on your computer.
9. Once you have logged in and created an account head over to this LG page.
10. Scroll down the page until you can see the section that mentions unlocking the bootloader.
11. On your smartphone, find out the IMEI number by tapping on the Settings > About Phone > IMEI and enter the number where it asks you to do so.
12. Open the text file you had open earlier and paste the string of numbers and letters you found from the device ID using Fastboot earlier where it shows you to do that.
13. Follow the rest of the on-screen instructions and then your unlock code will be sent to your email.
14. Copy and paste the code so it is in the same folder as your ADB.
15. From the command prompt window, type the following “fastboot flash unlock unlock.bin.”
16. Type the last command “fastboot reboot” and your device will reboot and have the bootloader unlocked.

In conclusion, that is how to unlock the bootloader on the LG G5 smartphone with the H850 model number. Now you can find out how to install a custom recovery on the LG G5 H850 smartphone so you can root the device later.